Rojuun

Rumors are spreading about a new race called Rojuun. They appeared from the depths of the mountains eight hundred years ago with the intention of taking over the world. Tathan of the Shadows has been charged with learning more about them. However, he must learn more about his very unusual companions before he can succeed. More

Book 1 of the Willden Trilogy.

Ryallon is a vast world surrounded by chaotic energies. Humans live on a few of the continents separated by massive oceans, but many areas of the world are unexplored and filled with enormous forests, endless deserts and majestic mountain ranges. The light of two moons, Siahray and Piohray keep the night skies bright.

Tathan left home at the age of fifteen to travel the world. He found adventure along the way, but it wasn’t always the sort a young man dreamed of. Most of it was much darker with dark alleys, knives, and a primal struggle for life at the lowest levels rather than dragons, maidens, knights and treasure. Fourteen years later, he has come home to the valley where he grew up.

Liselle is a young woman of seventeen years whose parents wish her to marry soon. However, marriage is the last thing on her mind when she has never seen anything beyond the lonely valley where she lives. Liselle spends much of her time talking to the flowers about how she feels. They listen intently to her every word.

Vevin is . . . well . . . something else entirely. His home was recently stolen from him by a terrible creature who hurt him badly. Now he is searching for a new home. Preferably something with a large area to keep his treasure . . . once he acquires some.

Sir Danth is the greatest of the ancient Knights of Morhain . . . Of course, he’s the only Knight of Morhain still alive . . . sort of alive . . . only different.

Rumors are spreading about a new race called Rojuun. They appeared from the depths of the mountains eight-hundred years ago with the intention of taking over the world. It is their understanding that humans exist to serve them, but are disappointed that humans don’t seem to be aware of that fact.

The companions are charged with finding out more about this race of Rojuun. Will they be entranced by beautiful music flowing through the air, or will they die a horrible death in the darkest depths of the world? And exactly who, or what, is Vevin anyway?

The Willden Trilogy is an epic fantasy that follows the adventures of Tathan and his companions through the Willden Forest and into the depths of the world. A new race called Rojuun has appeared in the world and is threatening to make humans their servants. It is the companions’ task to learn more and perhaps rescue a princess if they have the time.

John H. Carroll was the youngest of seven children and was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1970 where he was kept in a dresser drawer with the clean socks. Luckily, he wasn’t kept with the dirty socks or else he might have grown up to become slightly warped.

As a child, John spent most of his time wandering through the Mojave Desert in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the sky, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. One of his favorite memories is watching his dad build the fuselage of Evel Kneivel’s skycycle in their garage. One of his least favorite moments was watching that skycycle fall into the Snake River. (Not his dad’s fault and he has documentation to prove it, so nyah)

As a teenager, John spent most of his time driving wherever he could in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the road, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He was the captain of the chess team, lettered in golf and band while in high school, and wasn’t beaten up anywhere near as much as one might imagine.

As an adult, John spends most of his time staring at a computer screen in an attempt to avoid people. He stares at the monitor for hours, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He has been married to his wonderful wife for sixteen years and they have three obnoxio . . . wonderful children who always behave . . . when they’re asleep.

Emo bunny minions surround John at most times. He is their imaginary friend and they look to him for guidance. At one point, they took over the world. No one noticed because they left everything exactly as it was. They gave the world back after a week because it was depressing.

The Willden Trilogy is his first endeavor into the field of writing. Other series and standalone works will be forthcoming. In addition, John has written a number of short stories that can be found at most eBook sites. He writes in the evenings and weekends whenever possible. Regrettably, the family mentioned in a previous paragraph desires food and shelter, requiring the author to possess a full time job until his writing makes him rich.

Also in Willden Trilogy

Also in Ryallon

Also by This Author

Reviews

Review by:
THG StarDragon Publishing
on March 03, 2013 :
I absolutely loved this book. It has an excellent blend of seriousness and humor. Some of the humor was a bit contemporary, which some might find off-putting. However, the reader is encouraged to remember that this story might not even be our planet. I greatly enjoyed seeing how Tathan shows himself to not be that bad (or serious) of a person despite his dark past (which is alluded to, but never fully laid out, which makes it that much more mysterious).

The budding romance between Vevin and Liselle was very well done, in my opinion. It made a good counterbalance to the weightier concerns in the story.

The foreign names I found very intriguing, and felt that they helped add reinforcement to the premise of the people and species being different. I did not have any problem with pronouncing the names. I found them rather well laid out. This might be because I study several languages whenever I can, instead of trying to keep myself immersed in one culture. So someone else might have a harder time, but there are not enough of these that should trip anyone reading.

I was first introduced to the author's writings through his short stories, and I was very happy to see how well he did with the light, irreverently serious tone of his writing voice in a longer work, and will be getting the next book of the series after I've got all my necessaries taken care of.

>.> Devin was my favorite character. I really loved the way he was always expressing his emotion and finding out more about the dragons of this world.(review of free book)

Review by:
Pellia Ony
on Nov. 02, 2012 :
The characters are absolutely wonderful, and I loved each of them. The plot and wonderful characters made this a page-turner for me. Some of the dialog and general style of writing was distracting for me - at times I felt it was inconsistent - but easy enough to learn to accept as this writer's voice.(review of free book)

Review by:
TryingOutSmashwords
on Oct. 19, 2012 :
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I'd also love to play an rpg in this setting!(review of free book)

Review by:
Marisa Brown
on July 12, 2012 :
John has a way of creating characters that you can identify with, and "heros" (I use the term loosely!) that aren't larger than life, or perfect in any way. His stories are interesting and engaging, and I think he's one of the best new authors emerging today! The entire set of stories from the world of Ryallon are wonderful stories, and each is better than the last. I highly recommend reading them all!(review of free book)

Review by:
gardenman
on March 13, 2012 :
(no rating)
I just finished this book. I enjoyed it very much. I am looking forward to reading the others in the series. I hope to be able to get them soon.(review of free book)

Review by:
Amanda Loo
on March 12, 2012 :
Well written plot and interesting characters.After reading it, I feel satisfaction.Thank you for the great work.(review of free book)

Review by:
Prudence MacLeod
on March 02, 2012 :
It is time for another book review and this time I want to tell you about Rojuun by John H. Carroll. I quite enjoyed this little flight of fantasy. Rojuun is John first book, and also the first in a three part series. John is a natural storyteller, and sets up an interesting cast of characters. There is the rogue thief, the ghost of a long dead knight, the dragon in human form, and the naive country girl with a serious talent for magic.
John sends this unlikely troupe out into a magical forest filled with druids, abandoned cities, castles, and underground cities built by alien creatures. This is a rollicking good tale with dangers lurking around every corner for our adventurers. Great fun.
The only rough spots here are the unpronounceable names and occasionally a little too much description, but these things are minor. I give this five stars for a debut novel.(review of free book)

Review by:
ericson llorca
on Feb. 02, 2012 :
i love this book!! can't stop reading to the end. i know now what rojuuns are... great read. thanks :-)(review of free book)

Review by:
Sharon Mc Govern
on Jan. 27, 2012 :
I just finished this book. I really appreciate Mr. Carroll's style of writing and the humor his works contain. I have just purchased the "Willden Trilogy" and am looking forward to "finishing" the adventure. rsmquilts@aol.com(review of free book)

Review by:
stkatzgm
on Dec. 05, 2010 :
Carroll's first novel is a tale filled with magic and adventure. It will draw you in and carry you forward as you join Tathan and his beautiful cousin Liselle as they leave the serenity of their home valley to explore the world. They join with a pair of quirky characters that they meet along the way, and the four find themselves fighting for their lives and the lives of the Rojuun in a land deep inside the earth. The journey forges the bonds of their friendship as they learn just what they and each other are made of.

A well-paced novel with diverse, believable characters and lands that come to life through skillful description, Rojuun doesn't disappoint.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)